GaaIno: A Mission Gone?
by MeGoNuts
Summary: What happens when Ino Yamanaka is assigned to escort Sabaku no Gaara back to Suna from Konoha? Nothing good, that's to be sure. GaaIno. T to be safe. Places after the time skip.
1. Prologue

**MeGoNuts**** represents:**

**GaaIno: A Mission Gone...?**

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Ino wakes up in the blissful morning in Konoha. She had broken her leg in her last mission. It aches and hurts, it haven't been even 2 days. Chooji and Shikamaru would've wanted to be with her, bu lady Tsunade, the Hokage, wants them to complete the mission they were assinged.

_Stupid mission..._

She gets up sitting and opens the window. Cool breeze blows at her face, sending shivers down her spine. Ino leans to the oppen window, looking at the leaves complex dance in the wind in the streets of Konoha.

_I just want to be out with him, no matter if it's on mission or on freetime. But it might never, ever happen_, Ino thinks and starts sobbing.

She looked at the sun rising _red_. Just like _his _hair. Just like _his _lovely blood-red hair. It makes her cry even more.

"I'll never see him again", Ino thought and cried loudly, looking at the sun rising higher and higher. Last thing she remembers is his face in front of hers, in middle of a raging battle.

_What even happened to him?_


	2. Chapter 1: 9 Days ago

**MeGoNuts**** represents:**

**GaaIno: A Mission Gone...?**

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**9 days ago...**

"Ino! INO!" mom shouted at the hallway.

"I'm leaving to a businesstrip with dad for two weeks!"

"Yeeyeah ok..." Ino mumbled totally tired and fell asleep again.

Ino woke up to a knock and looked around. _Shikamaru_ was outside the window, on 2nd floor.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Ino shouted and fell to the floor. She got up and opened the window.

"Tsunade wants to meet us at her office. Come down when you're ready", he said and mumbled how troublesome it was to wake up this early.

Ino puts on her make-up, changes to her usual purple outfit and does her hair up to a ponytail, leaving some hanging on her face. Just the way she liked it.

She went outside. Chooji was there too and Team 10 left towards the Hokage's office. They talked about nothing and everything and Ino thought aloud why would Tsunade want to meet them this early, at 7 am.

_It must be something __**really**__ important._

Eventually they arrived at the Hokage tower and went inside. Chooji knocked to the door and Shizune, Hokage's assistant, let them in. Tonton snored and purred (!) against Shizune's leg.

Hokage sat by a table with Gaara, Temari and Kankuroo. Ino saw Shikamaru smirk when he saw Temari, and she smirked back.

The Sand Trio had been in the Chuunin-exams 2 and a half years ago. They all had changed, more or less.

Kankuroo still had his purple make-up (Kankuroo: IT'S WARPAINT!), a different pattern, thou. He wasn't too much taller, he had been really tall already at the age of 14. He was turning 17 at the spring if I remember right. He was wearing the same black

Temari had just turned 18. Her hair was the same. Her fan was leaning at the wall and _Shikamaru_ was staring at her.

But Gaara. Gaara was the one who was changed the most. He was a LOT taller, his face was narrower and he didn't look so...so..._ murderous_ anymore. And you could see the muscle trough his burgundy outfit. He was totally _hot,_ to put it simple.

_When did HE got that handsome?_

Gaara looked at Team 8 quick and continued to stare at nothing.

"OK everyone's here so I can give you your assignement", Tsunade said.

_What the Sand Siblings has to do with our mission?_

"Your mission is to escort the Kazekage and his siblings to Suna. They need escorts, because they have classified information that the Hidden Village of Sound is after. You", Tsunade pointed at Team 10," will make sure that the information doesn't bleed anywhere."

"Because there's six of you, we'll split you to couples. Shikamaru and Temari. Chooji and Kankuro. Ino and Gaara."

_Shikamaru will __**really**__ enjoy this mission, _Ino thought as she tried to stop a giggle.

_And I'm gonna go with the Kazekage. __**Wonderful**__. Just __**WONDERFUL**__._

Ino gazed at Gaara. He was doing nothing, just like some rock.

"Each pair will go a different route. Shikamaru and Temari, you will go through the Land of Earth to Suna. Kankuroo and Chooji, you will go by the shore and Ino and Gaara will go straight to Suna. You will leave at sunset from the West Gate. That's all. You're dismissed", she said and whipped her hand in the air.

Temari and Shikamaru left the door hand in hand. Chooji and Kankuroo chitchatted and went somewhere. Gaara was silent.

"See you at the gate", he said not looking at Ino and walked along the street. Ino stayed looking after the mysterious boy.

_He's actually pretty cute..._

Ino walked along the market street, thinking how she could spend the day before leaving. She went packing to her house. It was quickly done. She decided to clean up the house before leaving. She washed the laundry, washed the dishes and stuff.

Ino took her small backpack andI left the house.

_What now...?_

She walked the main street. There was nothing,_ nothing,_ to do. Shikamaru was with Temari, Chooji was probably 'tanking', there was no one at home and everyone were at missions.

She ended up before the Yamanaka Flower Shop. But Ino wasn't on the mood of working right now.

She continued walking, thinking how long it would take to reach Suna.

_How can I survive with _Gaara_?_

She ended up in a park with a large pond. She laid on the ground, wathing at nothing. There was a few clouds in the sky. It was cold, but Ino didn't mind.

Ino chuckled a bit.

_I'm just like Shikamaru, that lazy ass..._

Ino didn't even realise she had fell asleep until shadows were upon her. The sun was setting.

_So like Shikamaru, to fall asleep for hours like that outside..._

_**THE MISSION!**_

Ino jumped up, grabbed her backpack and hopped to the trees. She would have to make it in time to the West Gate. There was only a few minutes. Ino was on the other side of the whole village.

Ino started her race against time, running at the roofs of Konoha. The wind blew to her face, cruely cold and leaves slapped to her face.

She made it just in time to the gate, while everyone else were already and Shizune were also there.

"Okey, everyone's present", Tsunade said as Ino ripped leaves off her hair, swearing to herself.

"You have to stay away from the main roads when you go. You may leave", Tsunade said and started to walk away.

"And one more thing."

She turned facing the shinobis.

"_Try to stay alive._"

Tsunade was out of sight and Kankuro, Temari, Shikamaru and Chooji left.

"Shall we?" Gaara asked, facing Ino this time.

"Yeah sure", she responded.

_How in Kami I'm gonna survive even a week?_

They walked in silence. The air started to cool down when the sun had setted. Surprisingly, the silence didn't bother Ino. She had always been the one with a loud mouth. It felt good, just listening to the silence.

"Shall we?" Ino asked, breaking the silence. Gaara looked at her and nodded. She smirked.

_Hope he can keep up._

Ino hopped to a tree and started running. The trees flashed by.

Eventually, they arrived to a HUGE lake. It looked to go on and on and on and... no it ended eventually, somewhere there.

"If we try ti get to the other side of the lake and camp there?" Ino asked exploring the surroundings.

"Fine by me" Gaara said plainly.

The moon shone like a huge ball in the sky and millions and millions of stars twinkled with it. Not a cloud in sight. Ino dropped to the ground and kept running. Her legs ached a bit for the running. The main road squirmed somewhere miles away. The whole area was a huge lowland. Ino hadn't been here before.

Here and there was a few trees, but that's it. It was only milies and miles of open lowland.

They ran at the lakes waterline. Ino looked at Gaara.

_He's so beautiful in moonlight..._

_No no no. Nonononono. It isn't right to think something like that. Gaara is the Kazekage, for the sake of Naruto's My Little Pony-Collection! ( XD ) I'm just, a random Konoha Chuunin._

Ino looked back and the forest was about on the other side of the lake.

"Let's stay here for the night", Ino said panting, wiping sweat from her face.

"Ok. After all, we have been runnning the whole evening", he stated and Ino found him having something really close to a smile.

_He's sweet when he smiles like that..._

Ino found a huge rock you couldn't see from the main road.

She dug her backpack.

_SHHIT!_

SHE DIDN'T PACK A TENT!

_Thank Kami the nights aren't so cold yet._

"No tent?" Gaara asked.

"You can have mine" he continued as he threw a small bag to her.

"But whe-" Ino tried to protest.

"I don't sleep too much", he stated.

Ino looked at the small bundle in her hands and then looked at Gaara.

_He's a gentleman..._

Ino started to put the tent pieces together and Gaara left to get some firewood for a campfire. Ino had time to think in peace.

_Everybody had someone; Hinata had Naruto, Tenten had Neji, Shikamaru had Temari (and lord knows what they were doing at the moment), even Sakura had S A S U K E. Agh I don't even want to REMEMBER that raven-haired boy. I had fought for him for _years_ and then he chose the Wide-Forehead-Pinkette instead of me._ _Shikamaru is okay too, but he's with Temari now. I, on the other hand, had been alone as long as I can remember._

Ino sighed deeply.

She boggled as she realised Gaara was beside her.

_How can someone move so __**quiet**__?_

"You scared the shit outta me", Ino said laughing a bit.

Gaara didn't say a thing, just humphed and smiled, wider than before.

He lit up the campfire and poked it with a stick.

"...Are you afraid of me?" he asked after a while of silence.

Ino went speechless.

"...In the start a bit, but not anymore. I think you're not scary", _but one of the most gorgeous people I've ever met,_ Ino Finished in her head.

"You're nice when you want to be", Ino said smiling brightly.

Ino could be a lot more relaxed with Gaara, more than with Kiba, for example. Gaara had that kind of effect on her.

They talked and sat by the campfire, until Ino almost fell asleep upright. She said "Good night" and went to her tent. She collapsed on top her sleeping back. Her thoughts were totally messed up, but one thing was a 100% sure.

_Ino Yamanaka had a crush on Sabaku no Gaara, the Kazekage_.


	3. Chapter 2: 8 days ago

**Author's note****: OK so this is chapter 2. Sorry for grammar mistakes and calling Team 10 Team 8 in the last chapter (I'm so sorry for that D'':). But English is not my mother language and I'm 14 so xD. BUT ENJOY THE STORY3!**

**MeGoNuts**** represents:**

**GaaIno: A Mission Gone...?**

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**8 days ago...**

Ino woke up in her tent (it was actually Gaara's), peeked outside and saw Gaara sitting a rock.

She quickly brushed her hair, fixed her make-up a bit and stepped outside.

"Morning Gaara", Ino said looking at him.

"...Morning Ino", he aswered and jumped down the rock, not making a sound.

"We should try to leave now when no one's around yet."

He looked around her.

"If we try to get to that hill for starters", he said pointing a small hill. "We can get a better view from there".

She looked to the small hill. "Ok."

Ino packed her belongings and started running to the hill.

_He has started to open up a lot more._

She gazed at the redhead beside her and could feel the blush in her cheeks.

_Agh bakabakabaka..._

Ino was stiff for running the last evening and sleeping on hard ground, so she wasn't on a too good mood.

The sun had risen behind the trees. Suddenly Ino collapsed on the hill and squeeked in pain.

_What the hell?_

"Are you allright?" Gaara asked worried at his sitting travel accommodation.

"Yeah I'm allright", Ino said getting up quickly.

_Shit what was that?_

Gaara looked around him and then pointed at the forest faar away.

"Suna is that we continue?" he asked giving a worried gaze at his companion.

"Yeah let's continue", Ino asnwered and dashed down the hill.

They ran for hours. It felt like the forest kept itself out of reach, torturing them.

_Aagh how much longer we'll have to run? My legs are _killing_ me._

But Ino kept going. She was _not_ going to be a burden.

As Ino and Gaara kept running and running, suddenly the forest finally was in front of them.

_Finally!_

Ino was panting. Gaara was like he had been on a blissful Sunday walk.

They continued to enter the forest slowly enough for Ino to catch her breath. But they froze where they were standing. There was someone in the forest. And they looked all too familiar, at least for Gaara.

_WHAT THE HELL __**AKATSUKI**__ WAS DOING HERE!_

Ino looked at Gaara, not believing her eyes. Gaara was at least as terrified. Well he didn't show it too much, but he was frozen still.

Deidara and Kisame were speaking quietly, but Ino didn't hear a word. Then they left and Ino hadn't even noticed that she was holding her breath until she exhaled deeply.

"And what were _they_ doing here?" she asked not believing that they were there a moment ago.

"... I have no idea, but it's nothing good, to be sure", he said and continued to proceed in the thick forest. He was in his own thoughts and Ino went after him.

They went on in silence. Ino looked around her in the forest; a lot of undergrowth, trees close to eachother and no light could get through the treetop.

After few hours of wandering in the forest, Ino's vision went blurry, her feet felt like jelly, she had an enormous headache and she felt like she could puke. She collapsed to the ground. Last thing she saw was Gaara's worried face upon hers and then everything went black.

Ino opened her eyes and saw the starry night sky.

She got up sitting and saw being in a large forest square. Gaara had made a campfire and got the tent up.

Ino looked at herself: everything was like before. She was on somekind of bed, made of... _sand?_

Gaara noticed that Ino had woken up and looked at her.

"Whaat happened?" Ino asked from Gaara.

"You fell to the ground and was unconcious all day long." Suddenly he was sitting beside her.

"Are you alright? Does it hurt somewhere?" he asked.

"Umm, I'm fine? I'm not sure. Agh, I'm such a burden", she said frustrated and confused.

"You would be in Suna already if I wasn't such a... argh", Ino went lying down again.

She laughed a bit.

"I was assigned to protect and save you if needed and _you_ are the one who has to save _me_ all the time", Ino said.

"Weell, actually I don't mind it", he said in-a-matter-of-fact tone.

Ino relaxed a bit. The two looked at the starry night sky, lying side by side. She happened to look at him; the clear moonlight hit his face.

_Why does he have to be so __**beautiful**__...? Aquamarine eyes, red hair, kanji on the forehead, pale skin..._

Ino didn't even realise that she was staring at him until she realised that Gaara was looking at her. Ino quicklyturned her gaze away, blushing majorly at the same time.

_What the hell is wrong with me? This is nothing like me. It's just...just..._Gaara.

She got up and went to the tent.

"Good night", she said and went to sleep.

_God I'm totally fucked up._


	4. Chapter 3: 7 days ago

**MeGoNuts**** represents:**

**GaaIno: A Mission Gone...?**

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**7 days ago...**

Ino woke up in the morning but didn't get up. She just laid in the tent.

Everything was too much right now. Just like in a horrible hangover. And she knew how bad a hangover could be, but this was worse. A _lot_ worse.

Ino was a bit depressed before the mission. Her life had been empty and meaningless and she had been covering it up with being loud, well, just too long. It _all_ had been lasting for too long. And during the mission, she had time to think, which made things even worse. Or did it...?

Eventually, when the sun shone through the tent, she got up. She crawled from the tent.

"...Mornin'...", Ino said with a voice not louder than a whisper. She didn't even look if Gaara was around. She got up and fell to the ground right away.

_Hey C'MON! Not now!_

Ino worked off the tent and looked at her ankle.

It looked nasty; it was red, aching and swollen. Ino dug her backpack and took a first-aid kit. She rolled a roll bandage around her ancle.

Gaara had himself sitting beside Ino and Ino took fright at it.

_Again. He's just like some cat or something..._

"Hey, you alright?" he asked reeaally worried.

"Yeah, yeah", Ino said and stood up, though it was painful.

"Let's get going, then", she continued.

Gaara nodded, a mysterious look on his face.

They proceeded slowly in the shadows of the woods. Gaara went forward, he must've been searching the way before Ino woke up.

Ino was silent the whole time, being in her thoughts.

Suddenly Ino could feel a strong wind against her face. They were on the edge of the desert.

"It takes about a week to Suna from here", Gaara said and turned his head, facing Ino.

"But if we stayed here for a couple of days. We did a four-day journey in two days", he continued.

"OK", Ino answered.

"You should go to the shadows. It gets really hot during the days out here. I'll go searching the surroundings and try to find out where we are", Gaara said and left.

Ino sat to the shadow of a huge tree and leaned against its trunk.

She took the compressive bandage off her ankle. It was even more aching, redder and swollen than in the morning, if it was even possible.

"For the love of Kami", Ino swore to herself.

She looks around her and saw Gaara coming towards her. His red hair and the tails of his burgundy outfit moved with the wind and movement. He seated himself beside Ino, took a map from his vest and spread it in front of them.

"If I'm right, we are somewhere about here", he said pointing to the northeast of the Land of the Wind.

"Suna's in here", he pointed to somewhere in the middle of the map of the Land of the Wind," so it'll be about eighty miles there."

Ino looked to the desert.

_Nothing than _that_ for eighty miles._

"But we will stay here for a few days so we have the energy to cross the desert as fast as possible."

Gaara gazed at Ino and his gaze locked on to Ino's swollen ankle. The redhead looked at Ino, a puzzled look on his face, this time. She started to feel uncomfortable and hide her leg.

"I-it's no-"

"Let me", he said, taking Ino ankle gently and taking a mahogany small jar from his vest.

"The salva is made from cactus fruits and it should calm the ankle and ease the pain", he said as he applied the salve gently to the ankle.

Ino started to blush and turned the other way.

Gaara put a new, clean bandage to the ankle in the end.

"It should get better in a few days."

"Thanks...", Ino whispered still looking to the forest.

She looked to the woods.

_Strange. Like someone or something was moving in there..._

There they sat, when the dry desert blew sand to the woods.

Ino enjoyed these silent moments with Gaara. They were so calming. Just those kind of moments she needed more in her life.

She didn't even notice she fell asleep, until...

"-no? Ino, wake up", Gaara shook Ino's shoulder a little.

"There's an oasis two miles away. I already took all our stuff there and I can give you a piggy back ride there. OK?"

"Hmm, yeeaaah", Ino said groggily.

Before she could even get up, Gaara had catched her to his back and started running. The trip was surprisingly smooth and Ino could feel the warmth of his body. Unnoticed, she grabbed to the Kazekage a bit tighter.

Eventually, the oasis was seen in the dark desert night and Gaara had put up a campfire. It threw shadows to the palms and to the lonely tent.

Gaara slowed down and put Ino down, or, at least tried. She had grabbed to the redhead unbelievably tight. Ino didn't almost notice when Gaara chuckled to get her attention.

Ino let go and they both sat by the campfire. Ino had blushed a lot and her face was even redder than grandma Yamanaka's reddest tomato.

Gaara might have not noticed it, but when Ino looked at him, he had _blushed!_

_He's even cuter when he blushes._

"Um...listen...", Ino started facing Gaara.

"I-I wa-as just th-thinkg that...w-what...", Ino started feeling the heat rise to her face. Gaara just looked at Ino, making her feel even more nervous.

"W-Well..."

'Spit it out!' the inner Ino screamed.

'It can't be that hard!'

Gaara looked at Ino.

'You don't want to be alone forever, do you?'

"W-What do you think about me?" she said eventually.

_Oh god I just stuttered like Hinata or something!_

"What, indeed...", he said looking up to the sky.

". . ."

_OMG I just totally humiliated myself! Me and my big mouth..._

"I'm not totally sure, but one thing is absolutely sure."

Gaara looked at Ino and leaned forward, only inches away from Ino's face.

"You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen, and I couldn't bear it if something happened to you", he said cherishing Ino's jawline.

His hand was warm, and soft, and felt good against her skin.

Ino's heart skipped a beat, when she looked in the redhead's aquamarine eyes.

The two were so close their noses touched each other.

Gaara leaned down and their lips met.

Ino got surprised but closed her eyes and returned the kiss.

Carefully, Ino wrapped her hands around the Kazekage and pulled herself against him.

Gaara grabbed Ino's waist and pulled her into his lap.

The kiss was gentle, but it got Ino totally under its spell. It made her toes numb. It made Ino forget everything; it was only her and Gaara.

It all ended too soon and they parted. Gaara whispered to Ino's ear.

"All the way back when I saw you for the first time, you made me feel. To feel that I was alive. And when I saw you fight Sakura in the Chuunin-exams and saw you got hurt, it hurt me too. When you got hurt, I got hurt too. I denied it all and I have lived my life, but I always knew I would never get over it. And then , when I saw you step in the Hokage's office, all those feelings I had suffocated for three years, it all broke free."

Gaara ran his fingers through Ino's hair slowly. She leaned to him.

"And now, I couldn't think anything but you", Gaara continued.

Ino's blush had gone away and she smiled.

"Then there's two of us", she said grabbing Gaara's hand that laid on her waist.

"That is the most beautiful thing anyone has said to me", Ino whispered before she fell asleep on Kazekage's warm embrace in the desert night.


	5. Chapter 4: 6 days ago

**Author's notes: SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! :'( I'm so sorry people! But it's here now. Have been busy with school and stuff. Next chapter will be the last.**

**ENJOY! 3**

**MeGoNuts**** represents:**

**GaaIno: A Mission gone...?**

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**6 days ago...**

Ino woke up leaning to Gaara.

_Wha..._

Then she remembered last night and smiled.

Ino hugged Gaara and noticed he was already awake.

"Mornin' Gaara-_kun_", Ino said smirking a bit.

"Morning Ino-_chan_" he replied Ino.

"When we're gonna continue to Suna?" Ino asked meeting the green-blueish eyes.

"We'll stay here for a couple of days, so your leg will get better", he said. Ino had totally forgotten it. She looked around and saw that the sun hadn't rose up yet.

"Hey Ino. Want to see something beautiful?" Gaara asked her.

Ino turned to Gaara, and before she knew it, Ino was in Gaaras back and he ran towards a palm in the edge of the oasis.

"Hold on tight", he said when he started running along the trunk.

Ino grabbed to Gaara like her life depended on it. Or actually it did, because if she fell, she would die for sure. But she knew that Gaara wouldn't allow it.

She hugged Gaara, enjoying the closeness and warmth he offered. It was lovely, calming. Almost intoxicating.

Ino felt the gravity start to push her against him: he had sat down to the palm leaves.

But that didn't mean she'd let go. And she didn't. She felt Gaara laugh a bit and suddenly she was in Gaara's arms.

_He sure IS strong, and FAST._

Ino looked to the desert and saw it glowing red, like the sky.

She couldn't get her eyes off the view: it was something never seen before, completely amazing and beautiful.

Ino smiled and Gaara ran his fingers along Ino's arm and held the other one in Ino's waist in firm, still gentle, grip.

Ino slipped her arms behind Gaara's back and closed her eyes. She was really enjoying herself, the moment was relaxing and nice.

"Look", Gaara said and pointed to the desert.

The sun had come up and it shone its rays to the desert.

She looked at him and his face had gotten a red shade.

"Guess what it's like", Ino said.

"Well?" he asked putting his roehead against hers.

"It's like you", she said brushing Gaara's nosetip.

The redheads aquamarine eyes showed amazement.

"You have the same hair colour" Ino said running her fingers through the red mass of hair the Kazekage had.

Gaara kissed Ino's cheak and then her lips.

His lips were warm and soft, Ino just couldn't get enough of them. His tongue asked for entrance and she gave it without hesitation.

Ino was sitting in Gaara's lap with open legs.

She pulled him closer and Gaara tightened his grip on Ino's waist to deepen the passionate kiss.

They separated, panting.

Gaara gave a quick playful smirk and pushed Ino to the ground.

Their lips crashed into eachother again.

_God when did he get so good at this?_

Gaara was on top of Ino, his tongue roaming in her mouth.

There they were, making out on a 25-meter high palm tree in the sunrise.

In time, they parted from eachother. Gaara stood up sitting and catched Ino in his lap.

"I love you", he whispered.

"I love you too", Ino answered.

"...Maybe we should get down", Gaara and Ino said in unison.

They laughed.

"Yeah", Ino said. "I'll race ya!"

Ino dashed and grabbed the tree trunk sliding down fast.

She ended up sitting in the sand, hugging the palm tree.

"Come on treehugger. Let's have breakfast", Gaara said suddenly behind her.

"And when did you get down?" Ino asked amazed and got up.

Gaara smirked. "Let's just say that I have my ways"; he said.

Ino brushed the sand off her clothes.

Gaara was setting a camp fire and Ino dug her backpack for something that looked like green mash. It was mashed vegetable.

She took a small pot and went to the water to fill the pot. It was pretty hard because of the ancle but she got through with it.

Ino came back quick and Gaara had the fire up and running.

She poured the mashed veggie stuff to the pot. The put the pot to heat up on the fire.

They ate up slowly, talking about their families and freetime activities.

The sun was high up already when Ino decided to go for a swim.

She somehow managed to climb on top of a rock and jumped to the water. There was a big splash and when Ino got to the surface, she found a soaked Gaara at the rock.

She bursted out laughing and fell underwater during her burst of laughter. She heard a splash and arms wrapped around her.

"Gotcha", Gaara whispered to Ino's ear with a smile.

"What about now?" she said slipping from his embrace and dived.

She got up and saw Gaara. OR actually only half of his face because his nose and below was under the water.

He looked a bit funny, his blood red hair glued to his head.

But then he got up slightly and Ino couldn't get her eyes off of him. He was very muscular and his pale skin shone wet in the sun. To put it simple, Gaara was totally _hot_.

Ino started to float, enjoying the cool water and draining the warm sun.

And when she started to think about it, her ancle wasn't hurting anymore, still a bit swollen.

"Hey Gaa-" she started expecting to see him as she looked, but he was gone.

Ino started to get out of the water to go look for him.

As she was getting closer to the water's edge, the water itself started to get thicker, hard to get through.

Ino turned around and found the blue sharkman of the Akatsuki, Kisame, on the other side of the oasis, by the water.

"What are you guys up to?" she yelled from the bottom of her lungs.

Kisame started walking towards Ino and stopped in front og her. He grabbed her face with one hand.

"Came to finish an unfinished job, and you are only in the way", he said as the water started to surround Ino.

She quickly grabbed Kisame's ancle and pulled, making him fall. The water dropped as well and Ino ran out of the water.

She desperately started to look for Gaara.

She went to the tent and looked around.

Nothing.

She grabbed her ninja equipment.

_Where the hell IS Gaara?_

He came out and someone grabbed her, dragging her fast behind a rock.

There he was, panting and sweating.

Gaara looked at Ino.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm alright, but..."

"We have to fight. But first..." he said and closed his eyes. Consertation was seen in his pale face.

"Wha-" Ino started.

"I sent an SOS-message to Temari and Kankuro. We'll have to fight until they get here", he said as he dug his pockets.

He took a small crystal ball, then crashed it with his sand. It released dark purple fog that faded away in an instant.

"Backup from Suna is coming right now. They'll be here in 30 minutes."

"Hooray. We'll survive if we stay alive the next 30 minutes", Ino said sarcastically.

"Something like that."

"O ho hoo. Our little Ex-Jinchuuriki is still alive, un. I thought we killed you already", someone said.

Deidara and Kisame were on top of a palm tree.

Ino got furious.

_So these are the guys who killed Gaara, MY Gaara. And who that guy think he is, copying MY hairstyle?_

Ino snapped totally.

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE, DIPSHITS!" she yelled furious.

"When you two are dead, we will", Kisame said calmly with a toothy smirk.

_This is bad. We're on open, equals perfect targets. But there's no hiding places here. Guess it's just good ol' one-on-one fighting._

She threw a kunai at Kisame when she felt a sharp edge of a kunai at her throat.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you", Deidara said.

Gaara saw it and reacted immediately. He shot sand towards Deidara.

"Stop it Kazekage or I'll kill her", he said. Deidara held a kunai at Ino's throat and grabbed Ino hand which held the kunai, pointing it at Ino's stomach.

Ino started to turn the kunai in her hand. She stabbed Deidara's hand through her own one.

"Aaaagh! You bitch!" Deidara yells, unable to pull back. The tip of the kunai pointed through his hand.

"I'm not as helpless as you think", Ino said. "And that's _Mrs._ Bitch to you!"

She pulled the kunai out, tunred around and hit Deidara's kunai-arm.

_Snatch._

The kunai fell to the ground. Ino had broken Deidara's arm.

Meanwhile, Gaara fought Kisame with all he got, still had the disadvantage in the battle.

Ino held kunais in both hands, Deidara had his infamous explosive clay statuettes in his non-pierced hand. The other hand was really ugly: the mouth in it all bloody, tongue was very damaged and a hole you could see through.

_Fuck, my ancle._

Ino fell to the ground, unable to stand up anymore. But she wasn't the only one injured. Both of Deidara's hands were unusable.

The blond bomber grinned and dropped the bombs.

_**KABOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Ino flew through the air, hitting her back to a tree trunk. Huge rock came flying and it hit her leg, twisting it badly.

_Snatch._

"!" she screamed in pain.

The leg was thrased, blood everywhere and the bone sticking out of the skin.

She had lost. She would die. She would die in bloodloss, most likely.

Everything started to go black and Ino felt colder and colder by the second.

Last thing she saw was Gaara's face in front of hers, full of worry, in the middle of a raging battle.

"I...I-", was all Ino could say until unconsciouseness took over.


	6. Chapter 5: Ending

**Author's notes: Mwahahaha last chapter FINALLY! Hope u muffins enjoy it! :)**

**MeGoNuts**** represents:**

**GaaIno: A Mission Gone...**

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**2 days ago...**

The next thing Ino remembered was that she was in a hospital, lying on a white bed.

Ino got up real quickly, too quockly. The pain got the best of her. She squeaked and went lying again.

Lady Tsunade came in, followed by Shizune.

"Finally you're awake", she sat on Ino's bed's edge. "How are you feeling? Do you have any pains?"

"Grh a bit", Ino answered. Her voice was a mere whisper, her throat was dry and voice cracky. Ino cramped at the pain in her chest.

"Wait for a while, I'll get you some painkillers. Shizune", Tsunade said. Shizune nodded and went to get her the painkillers.

Ino's head was blurry: all she could remember was a big boom and...

_Gaara!_

"W-What happened?" Ino asked from Tsunade.

"Two ANBUs found you from an exploded oasis. They carried you here, to the hospital. You were almost dead", she said in a serious tone.

Tsunade tapped Ino's hand comfortably.

"You failed your mission, but the main thing is that you are alive and safe."

"Was I unconcious for long?"

"You came to the hospitla 4 days ago."

"What happened to Gaara?"

Tsunade got up and went to the door.

"Nobody knows", she said before leaving the room.

_What happened to him? Did he survive? Or did... did he..._

Ino didn't even want to think about it. Tears, those poisonous signs of emotion, started to fall down her face. Crying hurt her chest, and she fell to the deep sea of deep slumber and unconciouseness.

**The next day...**

The next day she got home. Chooji and Shikamaru had walked her home and then they had to leave. Temari and Kankuroo were in Suna. Chooji and Shikamaru had been assigned for a new mission: to find Gaara with the rest of Suna.

Ino locked herself in her room. All she could think about was _him_. She was emotionally numb. If he really was dead, Ino didn't know if he could get through with it.

Ino sat on her bed the whole day, when the sun came up to the sky, and went down the horizon.

Eventually she went to bed, seeing nightmares about Deidara and a dead Gaara.

**Present**

Ino cries loud by her window. The rising sun was red, like Gaara's lovely, silky hair that Ino hadn't touched enough. Ino takes her knees to her kurting chest.

Then something unbelieveable happens. Someone's walking down the street, or actually running.

Sabaku no Gaara runs down the street like the devil itself is after him.

Ino goes silent. She stares at the person. He has a bandage around his head.

He walks in front of Ino's house and looks at her window.

Their eyes meet. His are relieved and caring, hers are shocked.

She dashes, forgetting the crashing pain in her leg, down the stairs and opens the front door.

There he is, in front of her eyes.

She tries to get to him, but trips.

In an eyeblink, Gaara grabs her before she hits the ground.

Ino grabs him tight.

"I-I thought you were dead", Ino sobs in his chest.

"I won't die that easily", he whispers.

"How?" she asks in disbelief.

"I chased the blond one out of the oasis, but he got away, and when I came back, you were gone. I went to Suna and found a message. It said that you were unconcious and then I ran here", he explains.

Ino cries the tears of joy and smiles. He holds her tighter.

"I'm alive and I'm here. Shh-hh. Don't cry", Gaara says comforting.

"I love you", Ino says.

Gaara takes her chin gently to his hand.

"I love you too", he says closing the distnace and kissing her gently.

_**FIN**_


End file.
